


First Birthdays are for the Parents

by pancake_surprise



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Fluff, Families of Choice, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Harry Potter was Raised by Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, M/M, Minor Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Post-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Post-Sirius Black in Azkaban, Pre-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Professor Remus Lupin, Raising Harry Potter, Sirius Black Free from Azkaban, Slice of Life, harry potter deserves a happy birthday goddammit, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-08-04 17:09:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16350749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pancake_surprise/pseuds/pancake_surprise
Summary: After Sirius sorts out the whole falsely accused mass murderer thing, Harry finally gets to come home Grimmauld Place with his godfather. Professor Lupin joins them there more often than not and together they work on patching up the Black family home and Harry learns more and more about the life that both was his and wasn't- the life with his parents he was too young to remember.“Not at first,” Sirius says. “The war began long before you were born. At first, the five of us were just doing what we thought was right. And then things got uglier and we were fighting for Lily and Remus’ rights to exist. And then you were born and we found ourselves fighting to create a world that you could grow up in safe and happy. I wish I could say we were more successful.”





	1. Chapter 1

Dawn slowly creeps up over the horizon, washing the countryside in its soft light. The other residents of the Burrow are all still tucked in their beds snoozing peacefully. Only Harry is awake, sitting quietly on the wooden stairs of the porch. His third year at Hogwarts ended some four weeks earlier and he has been with the Weasley’s ever since, bunking in Ron’s room at night and playing Quidditch with the other Weasley’s by day. While Pettigrew’s trial goes on and Sirius’ pardon is dealt with, it was decided by all parties, that the best course of action was to send Harry home with Ron until everything was sorted out. But now the trial is over. Sirius is a free man and Pettigrew is rotting in Azkaban where he belongs.

Thus far, it is absolutely the greatest summer Harry ever had but the excitement he felt at the prospect of a summer spent at his best friend’s house was absolutely nothing to the elation he currently feels watching the sun continue its gentle rise.

Sirius is coming by to pick Harry up at 8 o’clock sharp and Harry can hardly wait. The elation he felt when Sirius asked if Harry would like to live with him after the end of term is back and currently bubbling into his stomach giving him a near nauseous feeling. His trunk is packed and ready at the foot of his bed in Ron’s room, his broomstick laid gently atop.

Harry is quite certain that this is the slowest time has ever passed in his life but then the house is coming to life behind him with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley bustling about. He can distinctly hear Percy yelling about something or another, probably the prank he saw Fred and George preparing the evening before.

And then, with a loud _thwack_ , Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black, is there. Harry scarcely saw him since the night at the shrieking shack so it is more than a little shocking to see the man before him. Where there was matted, dirty hair before, it is now clean and well kept. The tattered prison uniform replaced with muggle jeans and a tee-shirt. The gauntness of his face, not completely gone but well on its way. And, greatest of all, gone was the crazed expression from the night in the Shrieking Shack.

Harry is up off the stairs in a heartbeat and throwing his arms around his godfather in another.

Sirius huffs and takes a step backward to keep them both from falling with the force of Harry’s hug and then he’s hugging Harry back just as tight.

“I missed you, too,” Sirius says into the crown of Harry’s head.

A moment passes before the door to the burrow opens and Mrs. Weasley is shouting.

“Mr. Black! It’s so good to see you!”

Harry is reluctant to let go but does so anyway as more of the Weasleys begin pouring out of the house. A small part of Harry’s mind says that if he lets Sirius out of his sight, then this will all turn out to be some kind of dream. Or perhaps, the Ministry will rescind their decision regarding Sirius’ freedom and come take him again. Harry pushes the thoughts away as Mrs. Weasley envelops Sirius in a hug of her own.

“Please, call me Sirius,” Sirius says as Mrs. Weasley continues her fussing over him.

Mr. Weasley makes his way down the stairs and gives Sirius a great handshake.

“Good to have you back, Sirius,” Mr. Weasley says. “We’ve more than loved having Harry here with us, and he’s more than welcome any time, but considering he’s been out here waiting since near 4 in the morning, I’d say he’s ready to head home with you.”

Harry’s cheeks go pink with embarrassment while Sirius’ eyes grow just a little glassy.

“Yes, well,” Sirius stutters. “I’ve been waiting for this day for nearly thirteen years, I have to say I’m more than a little excited myself.” Sirius throws his arm around Harry’s shoulders and gives his arm a squeeze. “I can’t promise to be anywhere near the parents James and Lily would have been, but I will damn well try.”

“You’re going to do great,” Mr. Weasley begins at the same time Mrs. Weasley says “we’re only a floo away should you need anything at all.”

There’s a great commotion as Fred and George arrive with Harry’s trunk in tow, Ron behind them with Hedwig in her cage, and Ginny behind him with his broom.

Harry can do little more than beam as the entire Weasley family descends upon him with goodbye hugs.

“See you September 1st, mate!” Ron shouts.

Harry nods and then with another loud _thwack_ , they’re gone.

 

It didn’t occur to Sirius that Harry might not have ever apparated before and with the boy now doubled over, clutching his stomach, Sirius feels more than a little guilty for not so much as checking before he apparated them between the Burrow and Grimmauld Place. Sirius is still struggling to remember that Harry didn’t grow up in the magical world.

Sirius runs a hand idly through his hair and tries in vain to remember what Mrs. Potter might have done for him when he felt sick. When nothing comes immediately to mind, he finds himself gently patting Harry’s back.

“The first time is always a rough go. The nausea should pass in a minute,” he says quietly. Sirius lets his hand drop off Harry’s back and goes to set the broomstick and Hedwig’s cage down. By the time he returns, Harry has righted himself and the green that colored his face moments before is beginning to fade. Sirius swallows and tries not to feel too guilty.

Harry perks up upon seeing Sirius re-enter the room and Sirius thinks that perhaps the day isn’t lost just yet.

“So,” Sirius begins clapping his hands together once. “Fancy, picking yourself out a room?”

Sirius leads Harry up to the second floor and sets him loose.

“The first and third doors are off limits, haven’t been able to so much as get the doors opened yet. But any of the others on this floor are up for grabs- just say the word and we’ll get to work.”

At first, Harry runs quickly from room to room but after his initial excitement wears off, he takes his time going from room to room, carefully inspecting each one.

“Whichever you pick, it’s going to take some time to get it ready- new paint and all that. Remus and I tried to get what we could done in between the trial’s goings on but it’s going to take a lot more than some dusting to get this place truly habitable again. But I promise we’ll get your room done first. No teenage boy deserves a room as morose as these.”

“Remus? You mean Professor Lupin was here helping you?”

Sirius huffs a laugh. “Yes, pardon me,” Sirius says with a smile. “ _Professor_ Lupin was here nearly every day fighting off doxies, boggarts, and every other conceivable creepy crawly from the two main floors.”

“Where’s he gone now?” asks Harry.

“Back to Hogwarts for a few days. He said it was important we get some time alone and he needed to set up his classroom for the next year anyway.”

“So he’ll be back then?”

“If it’s not too weird to have your teacher down the hall from you, then yes, Remus will be back for the rest of summer to help us get this place into shape.”

Harry grins and Sirius swears he can feel his heart squeeze.

“Brilliant!”

Ah yes, Sirius’ heart is absolutely tight with something and, while he can’t be sure, he has a distinct impression it's happiness.

  


Remus returns two days later to find Grimmauld Place in total disarray. The halls are littered with piles of various knickknacks, clothes, books and everything in between. Remus suspects all the mess from the upper floors they failed to reach before Sirius brought Harry home. Muggle rock music is blaring from the record player Sirius bought over a decade before and, over the music, Remus thinks he can hear Sirius trying and failing to sing along.

Remus turns the music down before making his way toward the frankly god-awful singing. When he reaches the stairs, Sirius’ head pokes around the corner.

“Oh hello, Moony!” Sirius yells while throwing another bundle of something over the railing. “I was wondering when you were going to show.”

Harry appears out of one of the doorways and waves. “Professor!” he yells. “It’s good to see you.”

Remus waves back. “Harry! Fancy seeing you here,” he says as he walks up the stairs. “Helping Sirius gut this old place?”

“Oh yeah!” Harry says. “We’ve been working almost non-stop since we got in a few days ago. I had no idea people could ever own so much stuff.”

Remus shoots Sirius a look.

“You’ve been home two days and Sirius has already put you to work,” Remus shakes his head. “And here I was worried you two would be getting up to mischief without me.”

Harry shrugs. “I like to help and it’s not really work when it’s my very own bedroom we’re working on.”

Remus smiles and rolls up his sleeves.

“Well then, I suppose we can save the mischief for later, how can I help?”

After a couple more hours of dragging the dreary contents of bedroom #4 into the hall and down the stairs, Sirius presses a huge wad of muggle money into Remus’ hand.

“You know I’m absolute rubbish with muggle money. Would you mind taking Harry out to pick out some paint while I get all this,” he says gesturing to the now towering pile of stuff in the foyer, “out of the house?”

At the mention of his name Harry pokes his head out from the closet he is currently knee-deep in gutting at the same time Remus says, “of course. I’ll whip us up some lunch and then we’ll head out. Sound alright to you, Harry?”

Harry nods his head vigorously.

“Oh no, I’ll make us lunch,” Sirius begins. “The last time you made us lunch, the muggle fire department was called.”

Remus huffs and crosses his arms.

“That was over a decade ago!” he protests but it’s a lost cause. He cracks a smile and then all three of them are shaking with laughter among all of the discarded junk they’ve managed to move from the bedroom to the hallway.  

 

Harry picks out blue paint for his new bedroom and the three of them spend the better part of the next two weeks scraping the old dingy wallpaper off by hand when it proved impossible to remove with magic. Before he knows it, it’s barely more than a week away from his birthday. The very first birthday he would ever spend in the company of anyone other than the Dursleys. Just that fact alone is enough to have Harry’s heart soaring as the day draws nearer.

“Have you given it any thought?” Sirius asks one evening over dinner.

“About?” Harry asks.

Sirius exchanges a look with Professor Lupin before continuing.

“Your birthday is in a week. We were thinking a party was in order.”

Harry’s eyebrows nearly shoot into his hair in surprise.

“A party?”

“If you want one, that is,” Lupin adds. “We won’t force you to have a party.”

“I’ve never had a party,” Harry says.

Lupin gives him a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes while Sirius’ knuckles go white clutching his silverware. Harry is acutely aware of the tension that entered the room and wonders if perhaps he shouldn’t have said anything about his birthdays past.

“Well, then,” Lupin begins. “It sounds like a party is overdue then. This birthday will have to make up for the twelve we’ve missed. I can’t say I know much about throwing a teenager a birthday party, but I’m sure we’ll be able to figure something out if you’re willing to put up with two out of touch old fools like ourselves,” Lupin says gesturing between himself and Sirius.

Next, to Lupin, Sirius’ grip on the silverware hasn’t let up at all. And while his mouth looks relaxed, Harry can see the faint lines of tension in his forehead and eyes.

“You have had a party, Harry,” Sirius begins. “Though I would be quite surprised if you remembered it.”

“I ha-?” And before Harry is done asking, he knows the answer. Of course, he’s had a party. He may be unable to remember anything other than living with Dursleys but there was a time, however short, that he lived with his parents. He lived with his parents and his godfather would visit and Lupin too. Even Pettigrew he supposes but he shudders to think of it.

“When my parents were alive?” he asks instead.

Sirius nods. Lupin grabs one of Sirius’ hands in his own and gives a gentle squeeze prompting Sirius to finally let go of the silverware he was still holding in a vice grip.

When Sirius gives no indication he plans on continuing, Lupin speaks.

“It wasn’t a huge thing but it sure felt like it as the war kept creeping closer and closer,” Lupin begins. “Times were bleak, many thought Voldemort’s win was definite and likely to happen any day.” Lupin lets go of Sirius’ hand before continuing. “People were scared and irrational. Those who were friends for years had their friendships and families torn apart by suspicion.”

Sirius’ knuckles clench again.

Harry finds himself hanging on to every word of Lupin’s story. Entranced by the life that both was his and wasn’t. The life he might have had.

“They were dark times, Harry. The darkest of times,” Lupin pauses. “But even as the world grew grayer and fear gripped the hearts of even the bravest of witches and wizards, there was you. A bright, glowing, ray of light in the center of all the madness. They say first birthday parties are for the parents. And never was that truer than your first birthday party. Don’t get me wrong, you were showered in presents, toys, and sweets. All of us took turns carrying you around- dancing, singing, and playing. But the party itself, that was for all of us. For an entire day we got to push away all the fear, suspicion, and doubt to celebrate what we were fighting for- freedom. Family. And you.”

Lupin picks up Sirius’ hand in his own again and holds tight.

In his chest, Harry feels a weird sort of ache. Like everything is all tight and too big for his skin.

“You all fought for me?” Harry asks.

“Not at first,” Sirius says. “The war began long before you were born. At first, the five of us were just doing what we thought was right. And then things got uglier and we were fighting for Lily and Remus’ rights to exist. And then you were born and we found ourselves fighting to create a world that you could grow up in safe and happy," Sirius pauses a moment, sighing,  "I wish I could say we were more successful.”

Harry thinks he should probably say something then but he hasn't any idea what so instead he nods dumbly and continues painting his section of the wall. Later that evening, when Harry is meant to be long asleep, a commotion clearly caused by the conversation is easily heard throughout the house. Harry hardly has to strain his ears at all to make out what Sirius is yelling. 

"Never a birthday party! Not even a birthday cake! Not once."

"You remember what that woman was like Remus, god she was just awful how she treated Lily. And the things the Weasleys told me about how they treated Harry, the kinds of things they did." There's a pause. "Dumbledore truly believed that Harry was better off with _them_ than living with you, Remus. It makes me sick."

Harry listens to the conversation far more intently than he ever has in class. He grips the edges of his blankets tighter in his hands as Professor Lupin speaks.

"I had no legal right to Harry. Dumbledore never had the choice to give him to me." 

Professor Lupin isn't yelling like Sirius but somehow that's even worse than the tirade his godfather is on. Instead of anger, Lupin sounds utterly miserable. 

"It should never have fallen to Dumbledore in the first place. What right did he have to decide who was to look after him after Lily and James were murdered?" Sirius says, softer this time. "It should have been you." 

 _Live with Professor Lupin instead of the Dursleys?_  It is kind of weird to imagine but also sounds kind of wonderful. If he couldn't have his parents or his godfather, Harry thinks it would have been fantastic growing up with Lupin instead.  

Several minutes pass without anyone else speaking but just before Harry concedes to close his eyes, one final remark makes its way to Harry's room.

"I wish I fought harder for him," Lupin says. "I'll never forgive myself for how I let Lily and James, and Harry, and you down. Over and over again for the last twelve years." 

"Remus," Sirius begins sounding equally sad now. Harry wants very much to go down the hall to Professor Lupin's room to tell him that he absolutely had not let him down but he stays rooted to his bed. The rest of their conversation is carried out far quieter and Harry only barely manages to make out a word every so often. After a few more minutes, he gives up on hearing anything else and settles back into his bed. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Harry is surprised when neither Professor Lupin, who now insists Harry call him Remus, or Sirius bring up his birthday again. It’s a little disappointing, he was looking forward to the idea of a birthday party, but the subject clearly upset them both so perhaps it was for the best that the matter is dropped even as his birthday continues to creep closer. 

But now it’s the day before his fourteenth birthday and Harry is struggling to decide if it’s a good idea to ask them if he can invite Ron and Hermione to Grimmauld Place for the day. It doesn’t have to be a party, just getting to spend his birthday not utterly miserable or alone would be fantastic. 

Harry supposes that spending his birthday with Sirius and Remus would be nearly just as great. Even with the tension that has been present every since that evening. Harry is quite certain that they aren’t upset with him and they don’t seem mad at each other either but still, the air in the house seems heavier somehow. He knows neither of them is happy with how the Dursleys treated him and with each new fact he unwittingly shares with them, the tension increases. 

Harry is still trying to decide whether or not he’s going to take a risk and ask about his friends when there’s a knock on his door. 

“Come in.” 

Sirius pokes his head in and smiles brightly. 

“How’s this room treating you? Get a good night sleep?” 

Harry nods. “Oh yeah, this is loads better than my room at the Dursleys’!” 

Sirius’ smile grows a bit tighter but he keeps his cool otherwise at the mention of  _ them _ .

“I was thinking we head into Diagon Alley today and get a bit of school shopping done. What do you say?”

“Oh yeah! That sounds great!” Maybe outside of the house it would easier to ask Sirius about Ron and Hermione. “Is Prof- Remus going to join us?” 

“No, he’s going to stay back and take some time to get his lesson plans in order for the upcoming school year. Real boring stuff if you ask me.” 

Harry is secretly thrilled to get to spend the day with just Sirius. Harry loves living with Remus and Sirius but he had an entire school year to get to know Remus and he has only had a few weeks to know Sirius better. 

An hour later, Sirius and Harry arrive just outside Madam Malkin’s. It’s only Harry’s second time apparating with Sirius and while he still feels like he might be sick, it definitely wasn’t nearly as bad as the first time.

“Well Harry, where should we start?” Sirius says once Harry’s head stops spinning.

Sirius and Harry traipse all across Diagon Alley covering Flourish & Blotts, Quality Quidditch Supplies, and the Apothecary before sitting down to lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry is more than content to find the restaurant surprisingly subdued for being midday. 

He spends most of the meal working up the courage to ask Sirius about Ron and Hermione visiting for his birthday but just as he opens his mouth, Sirius beats him to the punch.

“Something on your mind Harry? You’ve been awfully quiet,” Sirius asks as he sets his plate aside. 

“Oh, um,” Harry stammers. “Well I was wondering,” Harry trails off and Sirius nods his head encouragingly.

“I was wondering if I could possibly invite Ron and Hermione to Grimmauld Place tomorrow,”

“For my birthday,” Harry adds hastily. 

“Well of course!” Sirius says grinning. “We’d better get back home if we’re going to get an owl to Hermione in time. Shame we can’t just floo her.”

Harry hadn’t thought of the logistics of Ron and Hermione getting to Grimmauld Place. Ron could easily use the floo network but Harry didn’t really know how Hermione would get here or how long it might take her. 

“Maybe Remus and I can go into Muggle London and find a payphone,” he says. “She gave me her phone number for emergencies and it might be faster than Hedwig.” 

Sirius throws his head backs and laughs. 

“You’re absolutely right, Harry. I’m sure Remus would be happy to do that.” 

It takes all of Harry’s control not to burst through the front door of Grimmauld Place and drag Remus back out into the city to call Hermione. A little voice in the back of his mind is berating him for being so stupid and not thinking to ask Sirius and Remus about this earlier despite the weird birthday induced tension. Instead he waits patiently for Sirius to open the door and only calls out for Remus once he reaches the entryway. 

“We’re home!” Harry says nearly yelling. When there’s no answer, Harry continues. “Remus?” He passes through the entryway and into the kitchen but finds no one. 

“Sirius?” Harry calls. “Did Remus mention he was going out?” But when he looks back to where Sirius had stood only moments before, he’s gone. “Sirius?” Harry tries again.

Puzzled, Harry walks through Grimmauld Place, searching for a sign of either Sirius or Remus. He suddenly wishes very much that the marauders map was useful outside of Hogwarts. 

“Remus? Sirius?” he calls at the stairwell. He strains his ears listening for any sound when both of them fail to answer him. After a moment of listening to what Harry is nearly convinced is dead silence, he hears the faintest noise coming from the sitting room. 

“Hello?” he tries one last time before pushing open the door anyway.

“SURPRISE!!!” dozens of voices shout at once. 

Harry is stunned to have found not only Remus and Sirius at last but also nearly every Gryffindor in his year, the entire Weasley family, and a handful of others all crammed into the sitting room at Grimmauld Place. Before he can say anything, Hermione is already surging forward and hugging him, Ron following not far behind to slap him affectionately on the back. 

“Happy Birthday Harry!” they say in near unison. 

“Looks like we won’t be needing to head into muggle London for that telephone after all, huh Harry?” Sirius says winking at him from across the room where he stands with Remus. 

Harry only grins in response before the rest of the room descends upon him with birthday wishes, hugs, handshakes, and pats on the back. 

Mrs. Weasley pulls him into a tight hug that has him nearly gasping for air. Fred and George ruffle his hair and pass him a bag of what Harry suspects are more of the joke prototypes they had been working on earlier in the summer while Harry was stilling staying at the Burrow.

Hagrid is there too and how he got into Grimmauld Place is a mystery that Harry will probably never solve but then he is in a room filled with wizards and witches so perhaps it wasn’t as difficult as he’s imagining. Just like the first time they met, Hagrid brought him another birthday cake and Harry can’t help but beam when he reads “HAPPEE BIRTHDAE HARRY!” in the same pink and green frosting. 

Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas are huddled around the snacks and Harry realizes suddenly that if his own birthday is tomorrow then that means that Neville’s is today and suddenly he feels incredibly guilty that their entire class is there celebrating him. 

“Happy Birthday Neville!” Harry says after breaking free from the swarm of various adults and other Gryffindors. 

Neville looks surprised for a moment before his face breaks out in a smile. “Thanks Harry!” Neville looks like he absolutely means it too and that makes the guilt settle thicker in his gut but Harry also isn’t quite sure how to handle the situation. Should he apologize? Tell Remus and Sirius that they’d accidentally planned a surprise party for him on Neville’s own birthday? 

“Sorry Neville, I hope I didn’t mess up any party you were planning,” Harry manages to stutter after a slightly awkward moment of silence. 

“No party for me this year,” Neville says cheerfully. “My grandmother bought tickets for the Quidditch World Cup later in the summer for us instead. Trust me, I’m more than happy to be here!” 

The heavy rock in his stomach disappears then and Harry couldn’t be more grateful for great friends at that moment. 

Harry spends the rest of the afternoon stuffing his face with sweets, playing party games with his friends, and thanking everyone for the gifts they kindly brought. By the start of the evening, only a few people from the original group remain. The Weasleys and Hermione join Harry, Sirius, and Remus in the kitchen for the second round of birthday cake. 

“So,” Sirius says, “did we do a good job surprising you? Did we accidentally give anything away?”

“No! Not at all! I was totally surprised!” 

“Well then,” says Remus from across the table, “I think it’s fair time to ask now, did you have a good birthday Harry?” 

“I would call it the best one yet but then that wouldn’t do it justice,” Harry says with a grin. The smiles on Sirius and Remus’ faces falter for just a moment before they both break out in laughter. 

“And to think,” Sirius begins, “we still have an entire day tomorrow for celebrating too!” 


End file.
